Luggage compartment for railway cars



1940- A. D. M DONALD LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed D'eC. 13, 1938 II XVENTO R. CL M 412. La (Rue 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 N HHHMMIMUMMMH MMMI H H N H H H HwI lHHHHH HHHHHHHI l -H hll I l l l I l l l 1 l I l l l 1| Rm? v Dwarf ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 8, 1940. A. D. MCDONALD 2,217Q068 LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT FOR: RAILWAY CARS Filed. Dec. 13, 1938 5 SheetsSheet' 2 IN VEN TOR.

CL -M 40. Mama! ATTORNEYS.

A. D. MCDONALD LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Dec. 13, 1938 5 Sheets-sheaf 3 IN V EN TOR.

(a; 49. mama! BY JV ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 8, 1940, A. D. MCDONALD 2,217,068

LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS J Q 1 1 un lu'l [I n' 'n I I a IN VEN TOR.

GA AR 14%64 BY v ATTORNEYS.

t 8. 1940. MCDONALD 2,217,0 8

LUGGAGE CQMPARTMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Dec; 13, 1938 5 Sheets- Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

7t GL M 49. wAQMBJ Patented Oct. 8,1940 I I I i UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE Angus D. McDonald, San Francisco, Calif. Application December 13, 1938, Serlal No. 245,398

9 Claims. (01. 105-329) The present invention relates to a compartment Fig.9 is a plan of the motor clutch and drive for the hand luggage of passengers in railway mechanism .for operating one of the shelves. cars and like vehicles. Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively an end and side The objects of the invention are to provide one elevation of the same drive mechanism shown or more compartments ineach car in which the in Fig. 9. a 6 hand luggage of passengers can be stored con- Fig. 12 is a'diagram of the electrical connecveniently, either temporarily while passengers are tions for operating and controlling the shelves entering andleaving or during the travel of the and the outer door.

car; to locate such compartments in the car in In Figs. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings, certain positions which are accessible but which take up parts have been omitted, and other parts shown 10 the least possible space usable for other purposes; in conventionalized form, for the sake of clearto provide access to the compartments from both ness and to avoid confusion on account of the outside and inside the car, so that luggage can necessarily small scale. Thus the chains which be loaded and unloaded. without interference with support the movable shelves and door are-shown 15 the entrance and exit of pamengers; to provide assingie lines, and the bearings and supports 15 vertically movable shelves in each compartment for the sprocket wheels of said chains have been actuated by electric power, whereby luggage on omitted. The specific construction of the omitted the upper shelves can be lowered or raised so as to and conventionalized parts form-no part of the be equally accessible from the station platform invention.

Q or from the floor of the car; and to provide vari- The preferred positions in the car for my lugous safety devices to prevent pilfering or loss from gage compartments are best sliown in the floor outside or damage to the luggage during the plan, Fig. 3, and as designated by the reference raising or lowering of the shelves. numerals It, are at the ends of the car,-just in- 5 These and other objects and advantages of the side the end wall l5 which separates the body of invention will become apparent from the followthe car from the vestibule platform l6. When ing description, which should be read with the this position is used, there may be four compartunderstanding that the form, construction and, ments in each card, two at each end on either arrangement of the several parts can be varied, side of the center aisle ll. The compartments within the limits pf the claims hereto appended, M are immediately inside the side walls N3 of the without departing from the spirit of the invencar, between the end wall l5 and a transverse 0 tion as defined in said claims. will or bulkhead It! at the end of the passenger A preferred form of the invention, as embodied compartment 20. l

in a railway passenger car, is illustrated in the Each compa e te ds from the 11001 accompanying drawings, wherein: of :the car to a ceiling 22 somewhat below the Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a. car, main ceiling 23, as shown in Fig. 4, and is sepa- 35 partly broken away and in section to show the rated from the aisle ll bya vertical partition 24, principal elements of my luggage compartment. which has a full-height door Shown Only in Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partly in section, of Fig. 2, opening into the compartment from the one of the compartments. aisle II. The door 25 may be of any suitable 40 Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic floor plan of the end ype, nd i indi ed in s id Fi s a mul ipl portion of a car showing the preferredlocation section folding-hinged door. Each compartment of two luggage compartments therein. also has an exterior door 26, Figs. .1, 2 and 4, Fig. 4 is a transverse section of one of the opening through the side wall I 8 of the car into compartments. the lower portion of the compartment. The out- Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional detail, enlarged, side door 26 is preferably of the vertical sliding 45 of a portion of the outer door, taken on the line type, and is mechanically and electrically oper- 55 of Fig. 1. ated and controlled by mechanism to be described Fig. 6 is a side'elevation of the corner of the hereinafter. outer door and its supporting chain shown in The compartment M is provided with a plu- Fig; 5. rality of vertically movable shelves, two such 50 Fig. 7 is a broken plan of one end portion of shelves, 21 and 28, being shown in the drawings. one of the shelves, showing its supporting brack- 'rn shelves are provided at each end with two ets and chains. suitable guide lugs 29, Figs. 2 and '7, which slide Fig. 8 is an elevation of the end portion of the on vertical fixed rails 30 in the form of angle shelf shown in Fig. 7. bars. Vertical fixed partitions 3i extend between 55 the rails 30 at the ends of the shelves. The shelves are hung.from, and moved by, vertical chains operating in the spaces between the partitions 3| and the end walls of the compartment.

The partitions 3 serve to keep the luggage on the shelves from coming into contact with the operating chains.

The mechanism for supporting and moving the lower shelf 21 will now'be described. A pair of horizontal longitudinal rails 32 extend under the.

shelf from end to end, and their projecting ends are forked, as shown in Fig. '7. The extreme end portions of said rails are attached to vertical endless chains 33, which run overidler sprockets 34, Figs. 1 and 4, beneath the floor, and over drive sprockets above the compartment ceiling. At the left .hand end of the shelf shown in Figs. 7

'and- 8, the rails orbrackets 32 are attached to .sprockets 31 are secured upon a horizontal'shaft' 38. The two shafts 36 and 38 turn in the same direction to move the shelf, and are connected together by a horizontal chain 39 running over sprockets 4|! secured 'upon said shafts. The shaft 38 is the drive shaft, and is driven by a motor 4| through a gear and clutch mechanism designated as a whole as 42 and shown in detail in Figs. 9, 10 and 11.

The motor 4| drives a Worm wheel 43 rotatably mounted on the sprocket shaft 38. A clutch member .44 is slidable but not rotatable on said sprocket shaft, and has notches 45 engaging pins 48 projecting from the'worm wheel 43. A spring 41 holds the clutch in engagement, and a forked hand lever 48, having lugs 49 riding in a groove 50, disengages the clutch. The lower end or handle of the lever 48 extends down through the ceiling 22 of the compartment, where it can be reached from within.

The purpose of the clutch mechanism is to disconnect the shelf -and its supporting chains from the motor, so that said shelf can be raised or lowered by hand, if nec ssary, in the event of failure of the electrical system of the car, which supplies power to the motor 4|. It'is intended, when the compartment is empty, and luggageis to be loaded from outside, i. e. when the car is taking on passengers, that the shelves will first be lowered to the bottom of the compartment. Then the upper shelf 28 is loaded through the outside door 28, and raised to its upper position, as shown in Fig.4. The lower shelf 21 is then loaded through said outside door, and raised to its upper position. Finally the bottom of the compartment is filled with luggage through said the luggage is placed upon them, so that said luggage could be passed through the lower portion of the compartment from outside and some of it placed on the shelves by a porter in the car. In such an emergency, the porter can disengage the clutches and raise the shelves by hand.

In order to prevent the shelves from dropping,

even when loaded, when the clutches are disengaged, each sprocket drive shaft is provided with a safety pawl interlocked with the clutch release lever, as described in the following paragraph.

A ratchet wheel Figs. 9, and 11, is secured upon the sprocket shaft 38, and may be engaged by a pawl 52 formed as the vertical arm of a bell crank lever, whose horizontal arm 53 has a lug 54 projecting through a slot in the ceiling 22 and resting upon a horizontally movable lever 55 below said ceiling. The lever 55 has a lug 56 engaging the clutch lever 48, so that said clutch lever 48 cannot be moved to release the clutchunless the interlock lever 55 is first moved horizontally,.which movement allows the arm 53 to drop and the pawl 52 to engage the ratchet wheel 5|, thereby preventing the shaft 38 from tuming in a direction to drop the shelf.

The upper shelf 28, Figs. 1, 2 and 4, is supported and raised and lowered by mechanism similar to that described above. The horizontal supporting rails 51 of said shelf are attached to vertical endless chains 58 running over lower idler sprockets 59 and upper drive sprockets 80. The drive sprockets 68 at the left, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, are secured upon a horizontal shaft 6|,and

those at the right upon a horizontal shaft 82, the

latter being the drive shaft. The shafts SI and 62 are connected together by a horizontal chain 63 running over sprockets 54. The drive shaft 62 is driven by an electric motor 65 through a gear and clutch mechanism 68 similar to the mechanism 42 described above, and provided with a similar safety catch interlocked with the clutch lever. Thus each shelf operated by its own independent mechanism.

The outside door 26 opens by sliding upwardly between the outer and inner sheathing of the side wall l8, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4, and is preferably operated by mechanism similar to that which operates the shelves. The door 26 is slidably mounted in guide members 81, Fig. 5, secured to the outer and inner sheathing of the wall l8,

and has forked brackets, one of which is shown at 68, extending into the s'pace'69 between said sheathing. The brackets 88 are attached to vertical endless chains 10, Figs. 5 and 6, running over lower idler sprockets ll, Figs. 1 and 4, and upper drive sprockets 12, secured upon shafts 13, which are connected together by a horizontal chain 14. The right hand shaft'13, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, is the drive shaft, and is driven by an electric motor through a gear and clutch mechanism T6 similar to that described above for operating the shelves, as shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11.

' The shelves 2! and 28 may be raised manually from inside the car, as previously described, when their respective clutches are disengaged. In order to provide for manual operation of the shelves and outside door, fromv outside the car, if such should be necessary, theshafts upon which the idler sprockets 34, 59 and II are mounted-may be provided with squared ends 34a, 59a, Ha, as shown at the left hand side of Fig. l, which are accessible for a removable crank (not shown) through properly aligned holes in the side wall l8 of the car. Thus by fitting a crank upon any of said squared shafts, the shelf or door connected therewith can be operated by hand from outside, after its clutch has been released.

. door 28, with certain safety and emergency switches positioned inside the car near the inside compartment door.

I The power line wires 11, Fig. 12, connected with the electric system of the car, lead first to a main switch 18 positioned inside the car, which cuts out the entire system to. prevent unauthorized use. One line wire 19 leads from the main switch 18 to a manual selector switch 80 positioned outside, from which three wires 8 I 82, 83 lead respectively to three manual motor control switches 84, 85, 86, also positioned outside. Each of the latter is a three-way switch providing for starting its connected motor in either direction and for stopping it. Thus the switch 84 for example, which controls the door motor 15, has three buttons or positions, one for raising the door, one for lowering it, and one for stopping the motor.

Actual control of the motor connections is accomplished by electrically operated starting and reversing relays, of well known type,- indicated at 81, 88 and 89, for the three motors 15, M and 85 respectively. The manual control switches 84,

'85, and 88 are connected with said relays respectively by wires 90, 9f, 92, and the other line wire 19a from the main switch 18 branches and leads inside the car for closing the outside door in case.

it should be inadvertently left open, and is connected by a wire I00 in parallel with the down or closing contact of the door switch 84.

f Each movable part, i.e. the door and each of the two shelves, is provided with limit or automatic stop switches to turn oif the motor at the end of the permissible movement. The lower and upper door limit switches IOI, I02 are positioned between the outer and inner sheaths of the side wall 'of the car and are engaged and operated by one of the extending hangerbrackets 88 of the door, as indicated in Fig. 1. The limit switches IOI, I02 are connected with the door motor starting and reversing relay 81 by wires I03 and I04, Fig. 12. The limit switches I05, I08 for the lower shelf21, and I01, I08 for the upper shelf 28, are positioned in the chain space at one end of the compartment, and are operated by the projecting hangers 32 and 51 of the respective shelves 21- and 28. The limit switches I05, 'l08'are connected with the lower shelf motor starting relay 88 by respective wires I09, H0, and the limit switches I01, I08 are connected with the upper shelf motor starting relay 89 b respective wires III, II2.

Electric interlocks are provided, to prevent I when the upper shelf is down, or lowering the upper shelf when the lower shelf is up. The interlocks comprise simple two-way switches operated by the door and the shelves and connected with the motor starting relays A switch H3 is positioned to be engaged and closed by the top of the door 28 when the latter is in open position, and is connected by wires H4 and 5 with the starting relays 88-and 89 of both shelf motors, in

such a manner'thatsaid relays cannot operate to start their respective motors except when the said interlock switch is closed.

A similar interlock switch H8 is posi oned to be engaged and. closed by the lower shelf 21 when said shelf is in its lowest position, and is connected by wires II1 with the starting relay 89 of the upper shelf motor 85, so that the upper shelf cannot be lowered except when the lower .shelf is all the way down. Similarly, an interlock switch H8 is positioned to be closed by the upper shelf 28 when said shelf is in its uppermost position, and is connected by wires H9 with the starting relay 88 of the lower shelf motor 4|,

so that said lower shelf cannotbe raised except when the upper shelf is all the way up. The manual selector switch also provides a feature of safety by preventing simultaneous operation of more than one moving element.

' ,The operation of the apparatus may be reswitches 98, 91, 98 are normally. closed'. The

station porter first turns the selector switch 80 to its door operating position, and then operates the door switch 84 to open the outside compartment door 26. He then, by successive manipulation of the selector 80 and the shelf switches 85, 88, lowers both shelves 21, 28 to their lowest positions upon the floor of the compartment.

Loading of luggage through the outside door 28 then begins, and when the upper shelf .28 is filled with luggage, it is raised, by manipulation of the selector 80 and the shelf switch 88,- to its uppenmost 'position. Luggage is then placed on the lower shelf 21, and that shelf is also'raised by manipulation of the selector 80 and theshelf switch 85, The last luggage is then placed on partment durin the journey, and not carried I by passengers, replaced in it by the car porter, andthe station porter removes it through the outside door 28 while the passengers are alighting, following the reverse procedure from that described above'for loading.

The various safety features prevent possible loss of or damage to the luggage. The car poralso keeps the main switch 18 off except when the car is at astation where luggage is to ,be loaded or unloaded by a station porter qor other authorized attendant. The interlock switches H3,

H8, H8 prevent loweringof the shelves except when the outside door is open, so that the attendant can see that the floor space beneath the lower shelf is empty before he begins to lower it, and said interlock switches also prevent crowding the two shelves together. The releasable clutches and their associated safety pawls permit the door and shelves to be raised by hand,

- if the electric power supplyfails, but prevent th shelves from dropping.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the luggage is loaded and unloaded through a door entirely separate from the door and passageway through which passengers embark or alight, so that the movement of the passengers is not interfered with in any way, and the usual delay caused by loading and unloading luggage is eliminated. Moreover, the luggage, or such of it as is not wanted by the passengers during the journey, is stored in a safe place, out of the passengers way.

I claim: I

1. In a passenger vehicle having an outside wall, a luggage compartment within the vehicle, a door in said wall opening into the lower portion of said compartment, and the top of said compartment being above the top of said door, a shelf in said compartment said shelf being vertically movable to raise luggage from the lower portion to the upper portion of said compartment, and

said compartment having an opening into it from said compartment, and said compartment having an openinginto it from the interior of the vehicle.

3. In a passenger vehicle having an outside wall, a luggage compartment within the vehicle, a door in said wall opening into the lower portion of said compartment, a shelf in said compartment, said shelf being vertically movable to raise luggage above the top of said door, and said compartment having an opening into both its lower and upper-portion from the interior of the vehicle.

4. In a passenger vehicle having an outside wall, a floor and a ceiling, a luggage compartment within the vehicle extending approximately from the floor to the ceiling, a door opening into said compartment from the interior of the vehicle, said door being approximately the full height of the compartment, a second door in said outside wall opening into said compartment, said outside door being of less height than the inside door,- and a shelf in said compartment, said shelf being vertically movable to raise luggage to a position above the top of said outside door.

5. In a luggage compartment for passenger anism for raising and lowering said shelves, man-.

ual control means for selectively starting the movement of said shelves, and interlocking control devices for preventing simultaneous movement of more than one of said shelves.

'7. In a luggage compartment for passenger vehicles, an enclosure within the vehicle having an opening for the entrance and discharge of luggage, a plurality of vertically movable shelves within said enclosure, a plurality of suspension members by which each shelf is supported, and independent means for raising and lowering the suspension members of each shelf, whereby said shelves may be moved vertically independently of each other.

8. In a luggage compartment for passenger vehicles, an inclosure within the vehicle having an opening for the entrance and discharge of lug-- gage, a vertically movable shelf within said enclosure, vertical guides upon' which said shelf moves, a plurality of vertical endless chains, each chain having one of its runs attached to said shelf, there being two chains adjacent one side of said shelf and two chains adjacent its opposite side, a horizontal shaft having fixed upon it two sprockets over which run the two chains at one side of the shelf, a second horizontal shaft having two sprockets over which run the chains at the other side of the shelf, a third sprocket on each shaft, a horizontal endless chain connecting said third sprockets, and power means for r0- tating one of said shafts.

9. In a luggage compartment for passenger vehicles, an enclosure within the vehicle having anopening for the entrance and discharge of luggage, a plurality of vertically movable shelves wit said enclosure, independently movable supporting members for each shelf, and means for selectively moving said supporting members whereby said shelves may be raised and lowered independently.

ANGUS D. MCDONALD. 

